How to grow pepino from seeds. Plum details. Cultivation, useful properties and variety selection. Harvesting at home

I bought pepino seeds, I want to grow something unusual to surprise guests and neighbors. How and when to sow them, is it necessary to grow seedlings? At what time can it be transplanted into an unheated greenhouse? I know that pepino is a perennial, can it be preserved in winter? Tell us about this exotic vegetable (or fruit?) and its beneficial properties.

Pepino is an evergreen perennial that belongs to the nightshade family. It is a branched shrub up to 1.3 m high with woody stems. The leaves are alternate, oblong-tapering, slightly wrinkled. The flowers are small, white-lilac, similar to potatoes. Seeds are medium-sized, smaller than tomato.

Pepino bushes in the fruiting phase

Fruit tastes associated with melon and pear at the same time. It has many popular names: melon pear, Aymara, Peruvian cucumber, Quechua, sweet cucumber, pear melon, melon tree. The size of the fruit is slightly larger than goose eggs. Their color is cream, beige with lilac stripes or bright yellow with strokes, depending on the variety. The flesh is yellow or creamy, very juicy.

cut fruit

Pepino is consumed fresh (for dessert, in salads) and thermally processed (in sauces, soups, with seafood). You can freeze them, dry them, cook jam, jams. Pepino fruit contains vitamins (C, PP, B1, A, B2), iron, carotene, pectin, etc.

The culture begins to bear fruit 4-6 months after planting, so you need to sow the seeds early. If it is possible to arrange lighting, then in November-December. If not, then in February. It is advisable to germinate the seeds on a damp cloth or napkin in a warm place (at 26 ° C). Plant in separate containers with disinfected nutritious breathable soil, half filled. Cover crops with a transparent film. Shoots will appear quickly, in 5 days.

Seedlings ready for transplanting to a permanent place

With early planting after the formation of cotyledon leaves, the following additional illumination regime will be required: in the first week - around the clock, the next 4 weeks - 16 hours each, another month - 14 hours. Young plants should be watered in moderation, avoiding overflow, overdrying. Feed every two weeks, preferably with a liquid fertilizer for seedlings.

Pepino flowers look like potato flowers

Agricultural technology is similar to tomato. Seedlings can be planted in a heated greenhouse in March-April, in an unheated greenhouse - in May. In the first case, the fruits begin to set in April, and ripen from the end of June. In the second - much later. Fruiting extended, until frost.

Care and shaping

Waterlogging the soil is undesirable, fungal diseases can be provoked. Sudden changes in humidity lead to cracking of the fruit. For abundant fruiting, top dressing will be required weekly. Be sure to ventilate the greenhouse. The optimum temperature for the growing season is 20-25 °C; at temperatures above 30 °C and below 18 °C, flowers fall off.

Pepino must be tied up by analogy with tomatoes. Plants planted in February should be formed in 1 stem, in December - in 2 or 3 stems. Stepchildren should be removed weekly, preferably by breaking out or leaving a small stump.

Colorado beetles love pepino leaves as much as potato beetles.

Colorado beetles eat the vegetation of this crop in the same way as potatoes. Therefore, if pests are detected, processing, for example, with Inta-Vir, will be required. The plant can be affected by aphids, whitefly, spider mites. It is necessary to fight them with appropriate insecticidal preparations.

Pepino with fruit in a pot

How to save a melon pear until the next season

Before frost, the plant must be dug up, preserving the root system as much as possible, and transplanted into a suitable container. If there are unripe fruits, then you can wait for them to ripen. After fruiting, the shoots should be cut to ¾. Place in a bright place, limiting watering, stopping feeding. Cut can be used for cuttings.

rooted cuttings

In January, the “melon” starts growing. It is advisable to spray Epin-Extra, increase watering, resume top dressing, provide additional lighting. From February to March, the resulting stepchildren can be cut, rooted. With strong pulling, the shoots are pinched. By the time of planting in closed ground, the plants may already be with fruit ovaries.

Pepino is worth growing at least once, if only in order to have a certain opinion about him. Perhaps these fruits will become permanent on your table.

Pepino is an unusual fruit in everything: both in that it has an exotic taste, and in the fact that it can rarely be found on store shelves, and in the fact that you can grow it on your own plot or even on a balcony in a city apartment. It is not difficult to do this, and if you have ever grown, for example, tomatoes, then you will not have any difficulties at all.

Pepino is a perennial shrub whose branches are partially woody. In height, an adult bush can reach one and a half meters. Surprisingly, the closest relatives of an unusual plant are tomatoes, eggplants and potatoes. Even pepino blooms are reminiscent of potato blooms. Botanists classify it as a member of the nightshade family. In nature, the culture grows in Chile, Peru and New Zealand - it is grown on a large scale there and is actively used in cooking. The local population adds pepino fruits to desserts, meat dishes, sauces and soups. Fruits of different varieties of pepino can have a round or oval shape. The color of the mysterious fruit is pale yellow, and there are purple stripes or specks along the entire fruit. Thanks to the color of the pepino, you will not confuse it with anything else. The size of the fruit also depends on the variety of the plant: the mass can range from 50 to 750 grams. If you try to describe the pepino fruit, you can find an external resemblance to the pear we are used to, and to taste - with melon, pumpkin and pineapple. That is why many summer residents call the overseas fruit "melon pear".

If you grow a tropical delicacy, then you will harvest throughout the season: the fruits will not ripen all at the same time. As a result, 6-8 kg of fruits can be collected from one bush. From the moment the flower appears, until the day when the fruit is cut, 2.5 - 3 months pass. You will determine the ripeness of the fruit by its characteristic color and stripes. Pepino fruits are very fragrant and tasty: you will be happy to taste them both raw and processed. If you want to enjoy fresh fruit, then the skin, although it is very thin, is better to peel off, and remove the seeds with a spoon. On average, 80% of the mass of the fruit is juicy sweet and sour pulp of yellow or white color. In addition to culinary pleasure, when eating pepino, you will also receive replenishment of the iodine balance in the body - the fruit contains a large amount of it. As you can guess from the yellow color of the melon pear, it is rich in vitamin C, and in addition, vitamins of group B, PP, keratin and iron. You can store pepino in the refrigerator for 2 months - nothing bad will happen to it, and even, on the contrary, the longer the fruit lies, the stronger the aroma becomes. Conditions for growing pepino

In our country, they began to grow pepino quite recently. You can do this on the balcony, terrace, just on the windowsill in the apartment and, of course, in any type of greenhouse - the culture is thermophilic and needs a special microclimate. The first and most important rule is that the air temperature should never fall below +13°C. Optimal conditions for comfortable growth: temperature +20 - +25°C during the day throughout the growing season; no sudden fluctuations in temperature; high air humidity (about 75 - 80%); constantly moist soil; lack of strong wind or draft (the plant simply breaks due to the fact that its roots are located almost on the surface of the soil). It is not difficult to create such conditions in a greenhouse, especially if it is equipped with a heating / cooling system. However, pepino is also grown in open ground. There are more complications here. Although the culture is tropical, it cannot stand too high temperatures. Therefore, in a hot summer, when the thermometer readings approach + 30 ° C, the pepino flowers will crumble and the fruits will not set. But if in September - October the weather is mild, the plant will delight you with abundant flowering and fruits. You can grow a miracle fruit by planting seeds or a sprouted cutting. Both methods are good - you should choose the more convenient one. Growing pepino from seeds

You can buy seeds in a specialized store or prepare from a ripe fruit. Planting material germinates well at home, has a high percentage of germination. However, you should understand that not every variety will produce healthy young plants when grown from its own seeds. Hybrids with this method of reproduction can give late flowering or heterogeneous fruits - the variety will simply degenerate. The most popular hybrid varieties bred specifically for growing an exotic fruit in Russian latitudes are Ramses and Consuelo. In total, breeders around the world have already created more than 25 varieties of melon pear. In order for the plants to get strong enough by the season of moving to the greenhouse or to the balcony, the landing should be carried out already in the first half of February. For germination, you will need light, moist and well loosened soil (the crop needs oxygen access to the roots). You can purchase soil for growing tomato seedlings - it contains all the trace elements necessary for a melon pear.

Seeds wrap in a damp cloth and put in a dark and very warm place. After a few days, when signs of germination become noticeable, they can be planted in the ground. Plant the seeds in the prepared tray: sprinkle them on the surface of the soil and lightly crush with earth. Covering the tray with cling film or glass will help create a greenhouse effect that will speed up the germination of pepino seeds. Place the box with seedlings in a room where the temperature will be +26 - +28°C. It is important that the temperature is constant. After about a week, you will notice the emergence of seedlings. Then you can remove the film (glass) - there is no need to cover the seedlings now. Plants should develop until 2-3 leaves appear. At this time, water them and monitor the temperature in the room. When the leaves appear, the pepino seedlings are ready for picking. Transplant only the strongest sprouts into separate pots. Moreover, for the prevention of bacterial diseases, pre-pour the soil in pots with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After picking, cover the melon pear pots again with cling film. This will maintain high humidity around the young plant, and it will be easier for it to take root in a new place. Culture in the first month of life will develop slowly - this is normal and should not cause you concern. To speed up growth, illuminate pepino seedlings. By the time of transplanting to a permanent place, pepino will reach 10 cm in height and will already have 8-9 leaves. Growing pepino from cuttings

A more reliable and at the same time easier way to propagate a pepino bush is cuttings. The stalk is taken from an adult bush that has endured wintering well. The procedure can be carried out at the end of February. cut off the part of the shoot that has 7 leaves; remove the bottom pair of leaves, and cut the next 3 in half - so the cutting will lose less moisture and take root faster; put the cutting in a jar of clean water at room temperature (the leaves should not be in the water); in a week, the cuttings will start up roots 1.5 - 2 cm long. Experienced gardeners and gardeners claim that pepino takes root very well - all cuttings have roots without additional dressings and growth stimulants. So, when the roots of future bushes have grown by 2 cm, they must be immediately planted in the ground. For growing pepino (as we already mentioned), a mixture for tomatoes is suitable. Take small pots or simple plastic cups with holes in the bottom to drain water, and plant cuttings in them. It is very important that the soil is loose: the roots of the culture need access to oxygen. Soil preparation and planting pepino

In order for the melon pear bush to feel great, it needs to be planted in light soil with neutral acidity. It’s good if garlic, beans, onions or cucumbers grew on the plot before pepino. Even in the fall, after harvesting the predecessor crop, the earth needs to be dug up and cleaned of weeds and root residues. In the spring, when it's time to plant our exotic fruit, proceed as follows: loosen thoroughly; make rows, the distance between which is not less than 70 cm; planting depth should be small; apply organic fertilizer - compost (4 kg per square meter); water the soil; plant pepino seedlings in a checkerboard pattern, so that there is a gap of 50 cm between plants; it is desirable to land in the evening; after planting, the crop must be watered, and then repeated watering every few days (do not allow the soil to dry out); the beds must be mulched with dry earth. The only questions that remain are when and where to plant tropical pepino. Of course, it is better to plant in a greenhouse: this will allow you to plant earlier (in mid-April), prolong the growing season of plants and get early fruits.

If there are no greenhouses on your site, then you can also plant them in open ground, but a little later - in May, when the probability of night frosts is minimal (these are different dates for each region). However, in the garden it is also desirable to build a small film shelter for the plant for the first time in order to protect it from the wind and possible cooling. The simplest version of the protective structure is reinforcing wire in the form of an arch above the garden bed, which is covered with a dense film. Do not forget that during the day the greenhouse needs to be opened so that the bed is ventilated. It will be possible to remove the shelter when the weather becomes consistently warm, and the bush enters the phase of active growth. If you are growing pepino at home in a pot or tub, then take the plant to the balcony on warm days or open windows - the culture needs sunlight and fresh air. Formation of the pepino bush

It is very important not to miss the moment and carry out tying and pinching - the formation of a plant bush. So, although the pepino bush is quite strong, it can break under the weight of pouring fruits. In addition, it has been noticed that a plant that lies on the ground ceases to bloom and bear fruit. Installing a trellis, a convenient support for the plant, will help to avoid such troubles. When the plants are planted, drive in a few strong supports along the bed (this can be pipes, fittings or wooden beams). The distance between the supports is 2-3 meters. And their height above the ground is 70-80 cm. Next, you will need a strong wire or wire. Pull it between the supports at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other. The "strings" you have obtained should in no case sag.

Already 20-25 days after planting in the ground, the pepino bush needs to be tied up and formed: remove all the shoots of the plant, leaving the three strongest sprouts - they will become the basis of the bush; tie the shoots to the lower "string" of the trellis: the central shoot is vertical, and the side shoots are slightly tilted to the sides; as the stems grow upward, tie them up so that they are located vertically, leaning on the trellis - this will allow the plant to reach for the sun and gain strength for the development of fruits; all fruitful branches extending from the three main ones can not be tied up, but simply “hung” on the threads of the trellis so that they do not tend to the ground; when you notice that stepchildren (additional shoots) are formed on the fruitful twigs, cut them off so that they do not pull the nutrients necessary for the pepino to ripen the fruit; the bush is very prone to the formation of stepchildren - you need to remove them every week, otherwise you will get only branches instead of a crop. Pepino: regular care

Loosen the soil regularly and remove weeds between beds. Water the exotic bush so that the soil always remains moist. Check pepino leaves and stems for pests. Affected areas of the bush should be treated immediately to prevent the spread of the disease. Feed the bushes with organic fertilizers (mullein in a ratio of 1:10): the first time - after rooting seedlings and the beginning of active growth, the second time - at the stage of fruit formation. Do not forget to water the culture immediately after feeding. Preparing "Mother" Pepino Plants

Good day, dear readers and users of the wonderful site Review pro. Today I have not quite an ordinary review, but very, in my opinion, interesting and useful for you.

Pepino is a very unusual fruit, new to all of us. I don’t often see it on the shelves of our stores, but you can easily grow it even at home.

It is not difficult to do this, but if you have ever grown, for example, tomatoes or eggplants.

The pepino plant is also known as the melon pear. And this is all due to the fact that its fruits are shaped like a pear, and pepino tastes like a melon. Fruits can be eaten just like that, and they are also added to salads, soups, they are dried, canned, and so on. Fruits are stored more than two months. The pepino fruit contains a huge amount of useful and necessary substances for our body. It is also a very tasty fruit that both children and adults will love. You won't regret raising him. Many even manage to grow houses in pots. If you grow tomatoes, then there will be no problems with it. I personally didn't have any.

This is a tropical plant and pepino is afraid of the cold. Therefore, it is better to breed pepino in greenhouses. It does not grow well in open ground.

We harvest in late spring or early autumn. In the spring we plant pepino very early. Don't wait for the harvest in summer. In the heat, ovaries cannot form.

Pepino can be propagated by seeds and cuttings. I usually sow the seeds in late January/early February in light and loose soil. They are small, it is very difficult to sow them, and therefore we do not embed them in the soil, but only slightly carefully sprinkle it. The soil is better to use light.

To preserve moisture in the container, I cover it with a film or glass. Usually shoots do not keep themselves waiting long and appear after 5-7 days. I transplant into separate containers when the plant grows three full-fledged leaves. To prevent black leg disease, we use well-calcined soil, this is how the main microbes are killed. In my opinion, growing pepino from seeds is a laborious task.

I like growing from cuttings more - it's easier and faster. Stepsons, obtained even from seedlings, take root and take root perfectly, so you can always have a lot of planting material. Pepino grown by cuttings bloom and bear fruit earlier than those grown from seeds and fuss less with them.
From my own experience, I can say that pepino takes root very well - all cuttings have full-fledged roots without any fashionable growth stimulants.

Thank you all for your attention to my review. I hope that it was useful and interesting for you. Good luck!

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The pepino (or melon pear) is an evergreen shrub native to South America. The name of the culture was not accidental. Its fruits are shaped like a pear, and taste similar to a melon. They perfectly quench thirst and refresh. The fruit can be eaten raw, added to salads, dried, frozen, canned, candied fruit or jam.

pepino melon pear

Many gardeners are wondering about pepino - what is this plant that has become increasingly common in recent years? The culture belongs to the nightshade family, like or. The plant is a branchy, durable, semi-lignified shrub up to 1.5 meters high and with a stem thickness of 5-7 mm. It is perennial, grown in open or closed ground.

Pepino corollas are collected in inflorescences, similar to potato ones. The fruits are creamy, yellowish or orange in color, the flesh is covered with a peel with gray strokes, the seeds inside are small. The fruit is sweet and sour in taste and very juicy, has a length of up to 17 cm and a weight of up to 750 grams. In season, up to 7 kg of fruit can be removed from a bush, and 5 kg when cultivated in pots. The fruit is nutritious and valuable - rich in carotene, iron, pectin, vitamins, iodine.

Pepino varieties

The melon pear has two special varieties that are grown on the territory of our state - Consuelo and Ramses. They are known among gardeners, since 2000 they have been officially included in the State Register as the most promising. Features of domestic types of melon pear:

How to grow pepino?

Exotic pepino is easy to grow from seeds or cuttings. Although this is a perennial crop, it has to be rooted in the ground every year, as is done with tomatoes or peppers. The plant loves the sun and heat, from planting seedlings to harvesting takes 4-5 months. The optimum temperature for the harmonious development of pepino, growing such a fruit at home is 18-25 ° C. In heat above 26 ° C, fruits may not set.

Pepino - growing from seeds

In order to get adult pepino seedlings from seeds at home by May, planting begins in November-December. The grains are slightly sprinkled with loose soil mixture. To save moisture, the seedlings are covered with a film. Seedlings hatch after 5-7 days. At this time, the sprouts need constant illumination with a lamp. In the phase of 2-3 leaves, the seedlings are planted in cups, deepening to the cotyledons and covering with a film. reduced to 14 hours a day, closer to March it is completely stopped. By the time of planting in open ground, the sprouts should reach 10 cm in height and form 8 leaves.

Propagation of pepino cuttings

It is most reliable to grow and propagate a melon pear with shoots. In order to grow fruit on your own every year, you need to have a mother bush. The selected healthy plant is transferred into a tub in the fall and brought into the house. Its shoots are reduced by a third, watering is reduced, the bush must be kept at a temperature of + 8 ° C. At the end of winter, the container is installed in a room with conditions of + 16 ° C, watering is increased.

When asked when to cut pepino, experienced gardeners answer - in mid-February. From the overwintered specimens, the apical part of the shoot with 7 leaves is separated. The lower 2 are removed, the shoots are placed in water, after 5-7 days roots are hatched massively on them. Then the cuttings are planted in disposable cups with holes for removing water, they are looked after until the time of planting in the substrate.

Pepino - care

Melon pear is grown in a greenhouse, open ground or in pots with a volume of 5 liters or more. In a closed greenhouse, seedlings are planted in mid-April, this will extend the vegetation of the plant and get an early harvest. It is easier to grow a plant indoors - you can regulate the temperature there. In open ground, melon pear sprouts are planted later - in May, while the risk of night frosts becomes minimal. When asked how to grow pepino at home, summer residents advise taking a tub with a bush to the balcony on warm days. Culture needs fresh air and sunlight.

How to plant pepino?

Before planting the sprout, it is better to treat the substrate with a solution of potassium permanganate. Pepino - competent landing and care:

rows are prepared with intervals between them of 70 cm;
fertilizer is applied: compost 4 kg/sq.m;
seedlings are planted in a checkerboard pattern so that there is a gap of 50 cm between the bushes;
the seedling is moistened and mulched with dry earth. This reduces the evaporation of moisture, and improves the conditions for the engraftment of sprouts;
it is advisable to land in the evening.

Pepino melon tree - soil

The melon pear bush feels great in soil with neutral acidity, well aerated. The soil should be free of excess nitrogen, which causes strong stem growth to the detriment of fertility. The best predecessors of pepino in the country are onions, cucumbers, and garlic. After harvesting the old crop, the earth is dug up, cleared of weeds and root residues.

In autumn, manure and mineral potassium-phosphorus supplements are introduced into it. In spring, the soil is loosened again to retain moisture. Feeding the melon pear is carried out monthly. Primary feeding is done 10-14 days after planting, the second - after the fruits are tied, then - every two weeks. The plant responds well to fertilization with slurry (1:7), or bird droppings (1:20).

Pepino on the windowsill - watering

When deciding to cultivate pepino at home, it is better to keep it on the southern windowsill, as it is very light-loving. It is necessary to water the melon pear in an open or closed room moderately - it does not tolerate waterlogging and is easily affected by root rot. Moisten the soil every few days, it is not necessary to allow it to dry out - at the same time small roots die off, and the plant throws off foliage and ovary. Pepino is watered if the earthen lump has dried out to a depth of 1 cm. With sudden changes in air humidity, the fruit may crack.

When does pepino consuelo bloom?

The melon pear pleases with flowering 70-85 days after germination. Pepino whisks are reminiscent of potato ones. Numerous flowers are collected in groups, up to 20 pieces in each. The petals are white with purple stripes. The fruits are tied from the end of March to May. The plant is self-pollinating, but it is advisable to shake it gently during flowering to form fruits. In June, after the days become longer and the temperature rises, the ovary no longer forms.

When wondering why pepino does not bloom, you need to know that this culture, although thermophilic, needs a certain microclimate. The optimal conditions for the formation of the ovary are 20-25 degrees. It is easier to create them in a greenhouse. When caring for a plant in the open field, there are more problems. In hot summers at +30 ° C, the plant does not bloom or sterile white corollas form on it, which simply crumble. Fruits are tied only on buds with lilac stripes.

If the conditions are right, then the exotic will delight with juicy fruits in September. From the moment the flowers appear to the ripening of the fruits, 2.5-3 months pass. By this time, they become soft, acquire a light yellow or cream color, strongly noticeable lilac stripes appear on the skin. The ripe fruit is easily pressed with fingers, even more than a tomato. Fruits need to be removed from the plant on time - a slightly unripe pear easily ripens in the refrigerator, where it can be stored for up to 2 months.

When to start stepson pepino?

Mandatory technique when growing pepino melon (melon) is pinching and tying the plant. The culture bushes very strongly and forms many shoots. Stepchildren are removed if they reach a length of 3-5 cm. Small stumps (0.5-1 cm each) should be left on the stem, which prevent the appearance of fresh shoots in the axils of the same leaves. The bush is advised to stepson regularly - every week.

After the plants are planted, supports (pipes, fittings, wooden pegs) up to 80 cm high must be fixed on the garden bed. As they grow, the stems are tied to the trellises. An unfixed plant without pinching under the influence of its own mass droops, spreads along the ground, its branches take root and actually do not bear fruit. Bush formation and tying enable the crop to make optimal use of radiant solar energy.

pepino diseases

The main pests are aphids, whiteflies, and the Colorado potato beetle. Of the chemicals used against them: insecticides (Aktellik, Confidor, Fosbicide) to kill whiteflies and aphids; acaricides (Karbofos) from spider mites.
Melon pear and ailments are affected: the “black leg” spoils the seedlings, so that this does not happen, the substrate is pre-impregnated with a manganese solution.
When the soil is waterlogged, root rot appears, in order to get rid of the disease, it is necessary to disinfect the soil with copper sulphate, replace the topsoil with a fresh one, and reduce watering.
In the second half of the growing season, the bush can hit late blight. The fight against it is carried out with the help of whey or the Fitosporin preparation - it is irrigated once a week.
The plant is susceptible to the solanaceous bronze virus: in pepino, the tips of the leaves dry, the affected plates darken and curl. The virus is not treated, the main method of preventing its reproduction is to remove the affected bushes.

There are no preparations for combating diseases and pests for pepino; for this, the same means are used that help in the protection of tomatoes, eggplants and other nightshades. In order not to use chemistry, you can make an infusion of tobacco, yarrow, garlic or onion peel and spray pepino from a spray bottle once a week. Before sending the uterine specimen for wintering, it must also be irrigated with protective solutions.

Is it possible to grow pepino in our unpredictable climate? Turns out it's possible! How?

Pepino or Melon pear was brought to France by a gardener of the Royal Parisian Garden in 1785, and in Russia it was first seen in 1889 at an agricultural exhibition in St. Petersburg. Emperor Alexander III liked the fruits so much that he ordered the plant to be grown in the imperial greenhouses. It is interesting that each seed at that time cost 1 kopeck, and a rooted stalk (stepson) - 1.5 rubles. At that time, it was very expensive, given that a cow was then valued at 3 rubles. However, during the years of the revolution, culture was consigned to oblivion. At the end of the 1920s, N. I. Vavilov and his students went on an expedition to South America for breeding material and collected the richest collection of cultivated plants, including various forms of the melon pear, but in the mid-30s the culture practically disappeared.

The biological features of the melon pear are also interesting. A bushy plant, with a huge number of stepchildren, is comparable in growth strength to an eggplant. Lignified stems withstand short-term frosts down to minus 2-3 "C. Due to the superficial location of the roots, the plant is very demanding on water, the Consuelo variety especially suffers from moisture deficiency.

According to the requirements for soil, air temperature and humidity, and mineral nutrition, the melon pear is very similar to a tomato. Hence the obligatory agricultural practices - the formation of plants (in one, two, three stems), the removal of stepchildren, a garter to a peg, a trellis. When the plant is formed into one stem, the fruits ripen a little faster, but there are fewer of them than when formed into three stems. It is desirable that two plants with three stems or three plants with two stems grow per 1 m2. During the flowering period, good ventilation is important, for better pollination, light tapping with a stick on the trellis, like a tomato, and observing the temperature regime are necessary: at night not lower than 18 ° C (otherwise the flowers, the ovaries fall off), during the day no higher than 25-28 ° C.

When tying, it is necessary to ensure that constrictions from a tightly tied rope do not appear on the stems. Plants need to be planted often, side shoots should be broken out in a timely manner, and overgrown ones should be cut with secateurs. Three fruits are usually tied on one brush, less often six or seven, but if you want to get large fruits, leave one or two fruits in the brush.

With significant changes in soil moisture during the ripening period, the fruits can crack, like a tomato. Signs of fruit ripening: the formation of lilac stripes, yellowing of the skin, the appearance of a melon aroma. The pulp of ripe fruits is extremely tender, so they must be collected very carefully. The skin of the melon pear is strong, dense. Unlike pepper and eggplant, mature intact fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1.5 months (Ramses) and even up to 2.5 (Consuelo). The fruits are able to ripen, but at the same time they contain less sugars than those ripened on the bush.
Ramses fruits are sometimes slightly bitter, but Consuelo does not have this. In general, Ramses plants are much more hardy than Consuelo. However, the latter is better in terms of quality and keeping quality of fruits. By the way, when Ramses is fully ripe, a fine mesh may appear, like a melon.

From germination to flowering, pepino takes 75 days, from rooting of the stepson to flowering - 45-60 days (the earliest ripening stepchildren - from the upper internodes), from flowering to full maturation - 75 days. In general, the growing season is 120-150 days, so the sowing of seeds, the rooting of stepchildren should be carried out (in central Russia) from the middle to the end of February. Seedlings do not stretch, but the first three to four weeks grow too slowly, they need additional light.
. In the middle lane, fruits with the best taste are obtained when set in March-April.

It is much easier to propagate a melon pear vegetatively - by rooting stepchildren. Up to 50 or more stepchildren can be obtained from one plant, and they bloom 20-30 days earlier than seedlings.
The melon pear is characterized by almost 100% survival of stepchildren during rooting (without rooting stimulants). It is better to root stepchildren with 7-8 leaves in the soil under the film (without shade). The first roots may appear already on the 3rd day, and mass rooting occurs on the 10th day. Stepchildren from the upper nodes (20-25th) bloom faster, it is better to choose them. In the future, caring for rooted stepchildren is no different from caring for seedlings.

Next, you need to carry out weekly pinching. It is better to carefully break out the stepsons, and not cut them off. About 2 weeks after planting, you need to tie up the plants, while forming them. For amateurs, shaping in 1 stem is recommended, especially for open ground. In more favorable conditions of a winter heated greenhouse, we can recommend forming in 2 and 3 stems. The same shaping can be carried out in a high unheated film greenhouse. Often the yield on additional stems is higher than on the main one. Ultimately, there should be 6-8 stems per 1 m2. When tying plants to a rope, it is better to put something under it and not tie it tightly, otherwise constrictions will form at the base of the stem by the end of the season.

For pollination, it is useful on sunny days (about 11-12 o'clock in the afternoon) to make light blows on the trellis (like in a tomato), this helps the pollen to get on the stigma of the pistil. A rather strong aroma of flowers attracts pollinating insects, they increase fruit set.
For better fruit set, the greenhouse is ventilated during the flowering of plants, especially in sunny weather, the temperature is maintained not lower than 16-18C at night and not higher than 26-28C during the day. To obtain large fruits, most often one or two fruits are left in the brush.
Since in hot weather (mid-June - mid-August) fruit set practically does not occur, one should strive to plant well-developed plants in greenhouses with emergency heating in late April - early May or plant plants with already set fruits. If there is a desire and opportunities allow, you can try to artificially reduce daylight hours in the summer months, covering the plants with an opaque material at 8 pm and opening at 8 am every day until mid-August.

Since the root system of the melon pear is superficial, the plants often have to be watered, avoiding waterlogging, and fed with infusion of mullein (1:10), bird droppings (1:20) or green manure (1:20).

It is better to plant plants in film greenhouses at the end of May (formation is preferable in one stem). The fruits usually ripen in August. Melon pear is a perennial plant and can live up to five years (like pepper and eggplant), but already in the second year the fruits become smaller. The plant is well adapted to growing in a pot culture, subject to regular transshipment, compliance with nutrition, lighting and temperature. Last year I grew a melon pear on a balcony (southeast side) and got delicious fruits.
Nowadays, melon pear is grown in Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Holland. According to Dutch experts, 30 kg of fruits per 1 m2 can be obtained in protected ground (ie, the same yield as pepper and eggplant).

In 1997, employees of the Gavrish agricultural firm brought samples of pepino from Israel and Latin America. Subsequently, promising seedlings of Israeli (Ramses variety) and Latin American (Consuelo variety) origin were selected.

The fragrance can already be felt when standing next to a plant hung with ripe fruits. The aroma is melon, but still specific, reminiscent of strawberries and mango at the same time. The pulp is yellow-orange, very juicy (like a ripe pear) and extremely tender, rich in carotene, vitamins B1, PP, and iron. The fruits are extremely tasty fresh. In addition, they are good to add to compotes from apples, apricots, plums and pears. And melon pear jam is just delicious.

Growing pepino in the backyard

Pepino seeds should be sown only in November, December. Remember. that their germination is very low! you need to sow flat containers without soil on wet toilet paper and keep under a lid at a temperature of +28. When the seeds begin to hatch, germination should continue under a fluorescent lamp. Every day, open the lid for 5-10 seconds and moisten the paper if necessary. You can dive into separate Pepino pots after the seed peel has completely departed. Then take care of it like a seedling of bell pepper. Fruiting begins in March.

Another way
I bought some pepino seeds on occasion. I sowed them on the site, collected fruits that I liked to taste. So I decided to grow pepino next year, but the trouble is, this variety in our area does not produce seeds. I had to do it differently. In the fall, I dug up a couple of bushes, cut them off and planted them in pots. I placed the plants in the loggia, where the temperature is not higher than 10 degrees. In February, I bring pepino into the room and put it on the windowsill. I water and feed the bushes, and in response they release shoots. When leaves appear on them, I cut off the shoots and root. In the warm season I plant in the garden.

Pepino is a melon pear that belongs to the nightshade family. This family includes potatoes and eggplant, tomatoes, physalis. Pepino, or melon pear, is a new crop that is grown only in protected ground, such as film or glass greenhouses.

Why is pepino called melon pear? Because the oval fruits of this unusual plant are juicy like melons, sweet and fragrant like pears - hence the name.

Since the melon pear, like many other plants of the nightshade family, has a rather long growing season, it is grown through seedlings, sowing as early as March. Two or three seeds are sown in a pot filled with ready-made soil mixture for tomatoes. When shoots appear, leave one of the strongest seedlings. As soon as the plant reaches a height of 20 cm, pinch the top for better branching. At the time of the appearance of side shoots, pepino is transferred to a larger pot, and at the end of spring frosts, the seedlings are transplanted into a greenhouse. From flowering to fruit ripening, a melon pear takes an average of three months. At first, the fruits are greenish, and in the phase of full ripeness they acquire a yellow color. Ripe melon pears can be stored for approximately six weeks. And the longer they lie, the more fragrant they become. Before use, the fruit is peeled from a thin skin or cut in half and the pulp is selected with a spoon.

These perennial plants overwinter in a bright place at a temperature of 5 to 15 ° C. The author of not only this exotic vegetable, but also tomatoes and other vegetable crops in Russia is the famous breeder Sergei Gavrish and his colleagues.

Pepino seeds are already on sale in Russia:

The fruits do not ripen at the same time, so they are harvested multiple times throughout the season, that is, in the same way as tomatoes of indeterminate varieties. Pepino fruits are not only extremely nutritious and valuable, but also with a wonderful taste - they resemble a cross between a melon and a pear, with a slight hint of pineapple. The skin of the fruit is thin, a minimum of seeds, everything else is one tasty, juicy pulp. This is one of the richest fruits in iodine, which is very important with a lack of this element in the body.

Pepino fruits are used both fresh and processed. When used fresh, it is advisable to peel off the skin. Growing pepino in closed ground structures, on terraces, on glazed balconies, where the temperature does not drop below 12-14 degrees Celsius, is the best option, because pepino is a tropical plant, for which the optimal growing conditions are high soil and air humidity, and also moderate temperature (20-25 degrees) with slight fluctuations during the day during the growing season.

But pepino is also grown in open ground, while receiving up to 7 kg of fruit from a bush per season. Melon pear does not work well at high temperatures, even when providing a high level of humidity - in the summer months (July, August) with a high sum of active temperatures, the plants bloom, but the flowers fall off, only single fruits rarely form, Abundant fruiting occurs in September-October, when the summer heat subsides. The root system of the plant is located in the upper layer of the soil, so the melon pear is unstable to strong winds.

The best for growing pepino are light fertile drained soils, unsuitable - dense, flooded with low oxygen content. The plant does not tolerate waterlogging very well, it is quickly damaged by root rot in such conditions. Reproduction of pepino occurs by seeds and stepchildren. Plants can be grown from seeds in seedlings like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant. It should be taken into account that the seeds of the culture are small, and therefore they cannot be buried, but it is better to sow to a depth of 0.5-1.5 cm.

Seeds are sown in a soddy sandy loam substrate at the end of January. In the first month, the seedlings grow very slowly, but at the same time they almost do not stretch. In the phase of 1-2 true leaves, the plants dive into pots. Seedlings are 50-60 days old. Growing pepino according to technology is similar to growing other crops of the Solanaceae family, with the exception of some points.

When growing crops in open ground, humus or compost is added to the soil in autumn at the rate of 4-6 kg / sq.m and, if anyone wishes, complex mineral fertilizer at the rate of 25-30 g / sq.m. Seedlings are planted when the soil warms up to 12-14 degrees and the threat of frost has passed, with a row spacing of 50-70 cm and a distance between plants in a row of 35-50 cm. After planting in a permanent place, the plants take root quite quickly.

2 weeks after planting, the plants are tied to a trellis and all unnecessary stepchildren are removed. For amateur gardeners in open ground, it is recommended to form a plant in 1 stem, which is associated with a long growing season of the crop. In protected ground structures, under more favorable conditions, plants are formed in 2-3 stems. Plants are tied up in the same way as tall tomatoes, since plants grow more than 2 meters in height.

You can grow pepino in pots, but in the air, when grown in open ground, the fruits are larger. When grown in pots, you can get up to 5 kg of fruit, for the 2-3rd year of fruiting - a little more. The fruits are harvested when they turn orange: if they are removed a little unripe, at a temperature of 5 to 10 degrees they are stored for more than 2 months. In autumn, it is advisable to put supports under the brushes with melon pear fruits or additionally tie up the brushes, since they can break off under the weight of the fruits.

Feeding the melon pear should be carried out monthly. The first top dressing is carried out 10-14 days after planting the seedlings, the second - at the beginning of fruit formation, and the next - every 14-20 days. At the beginning of vegetative growth, plants respond very well to feeding with slurry (1:6-7) or bird droppings (1:20). Only at the same time, one should not forget that an excess of nitrogen fertilizers leads to the growth of excessive vegetative mass by plants, which delays fruiting.

Melon pear can be affected by the same diseases as tomatoes, therefore, preventive measures for protecting against diseases are the same as for tomatoes. The main enemies are aphids and whiteflies. Pepino can also be grown vegetatively. To do this, in the fall, well-developed plants are dug up, cut off and planted in pots. The mother liquors keep 1.5-2 months in the basement at a temperature of +3-5 degrees with good ventilation.

Humidity should not be high in order to avoid fungal diseases, and watering is carried out so that the roots do not dry out. With the onset of more favorable conditions (February), the queen cells are transferred to a warm, bright room, watered with warm water, fed, and after 3-4 weeks stepchildren are already beginning to form.

Stepsons with 7-8 leaves take root better. For quick rooting, a light air- and water-permeable mixture is used (soddy soil, humus, sand in a ratio of 2:2:1). The first roots may appear on the third day, and mass rooting occurs on the tenth day. Care for rooted stepchildren is the same as for seedlings. Pepino plants are planted in open ground at the same time as tomatoes.

Harvest: 120-150 days after germination or 75 days after setting. Signs of fruit ripening: the formation of lilac stripes, yellowing of the skin, the appearance of a melon aroma.

Other source:

A new vegetable crop for protected ground with fruits that taste like exotic fruits and melon aroma. Fruits are egg-shaped, weighing up to 1300 g. Seeds are germinated at a temperature of 28-30 C on a damp surface in a transparent container with a lid, preferably with additional illumination. The optimal sowing time is the end of November - the beginning of December, planting in greenhouses - as early as possible, subject to frost protection (optimally - from the end of February to the beginning of May, since from mid-May to mid-August the fruits are almost not tied due to the long daylight hours Plants form in 1-2 stems, agrotechnics of growing seedlings is close to the eggplant, and after planting in a permanent place - to the tomato.

The fruits ripen on the 120-150th day after germination or on the 75th day after they are set, this is around August. Plants with fruits set from mid-August will have to be transplanted into pots and carried home, the fruits will ripen in late autumn. Fruits should be removed when purple streaks begin to appear on them. If they are put into storage in a cool room with a temperature of 10-15 ° C, then they can be stored for several months. Depending on the variety and weather conditions, the taste of the fruit can be very different.

The most delicious are the fruits ripened on the bushes. Signs of fruit ripening: the formation of lilac stripes, yellowing of the skin, the appearance of a melon aroma. Interestingly, overripe fruits soften so much that they can be drunk through a straw.
Fruits are 93% water. They also contain 2-5% sugars, the rest - minerals, vitamins. Unripe fruits of some varieties are very tasty in salting - their taste resembles pickles. The fruits of some varieties are sensitive to waterlogging and crack in wet weather. Yields are highly dependent on weather conditions.

The melon pear feels great not only in the greenhouse, but also on the balcony on the south side or in room conditions, for example, in winter in a pot on the windowsill, because the melon pear is a perennial plant. By spring, you can cut it and get your planting material. So it’s worth buying a seedling or even a cutting once, and then you can safely propagate this culture yourself. According to many, it's worth it.

Pepino produces an amazing pear-shaped fruit that tastes like a melon. The plant itself is a perennial up to a meter high. Its leaves are large, oval, up to 15 cm long. The flowers are small, similar to potatoes.

When the fruits ripen, they become yellow or cream, have longitudinal lilac, brown, gray or green stripes. Fruit weight - from 200 to 700 g. Honey-yellow or pinkish-brown flesh - very juicy, sweet and sour taste and resembles a melon with the aroma of tropical fruits.

Melon pear contains vitamins C, B1, PP, carotene, iron, pectin. Pepino is eaten fresh, in salads, jams and compotes are cooked from them, and unripe fruits can be pickled like lightly salted cucumbers - the taste will be very similar. Before use, the fruit must be peeled. Although fruity, pepino comes from the same family as tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers.

Growing pepino at home

There are a lot of pepino varieties - about 25. To grow it at home, you need high soil and air humidity, moderate temperatures up to 20-25 ° C, which do not fluctuate sharply day and night. Pepino fruits best in cool weather, and high summer temperatures prevent fruiting. Therefore, in July-August, only separate "melons" are formed, and already in September-October, pepino becomes more generous. The only question is, will these late fruits ripen? Thus, it is grown more for an interesting experiment than for harvest. Experienced "pepinists" are happy with one fruit on a bush. Grow it in the garden, garden plot, you can in the room.

How to propagate pepino?

Quality seeds are not always obtained in our conditions, often they are simply unripe. In addition, if you grow pepino from seeds, then the plant comes into fruiting much later. It is better to propagate pepino cuttings.

In autumn, it is necessary to take cuttings from strong, developed bushes, plant them in pots with a capacity of up to a liter and place them in the house, on the windowsill of the south window. The soil should be very loose because this plant is sensitive to lack of oxygen in the soil. In two weeks, the cuttings will take root. The first time they are kept under the film. So, let them grow on the windowsill.

In May, cuttings are cut from these plants and planted directly in the ground under the film. It is necessary to place the cuttings under a tree that has a rare crown, for example, under a peach. Another method is proposed: a stepson with 7-8 leaves must be broken off in late July or early August from an adult plant and placed in a jar of water or a pot of peat. On such a stepson, roots grow quickly. And then - as usual.

Pepino bushes strongly and give many stepchildren. If they are not removed, then there will be no fruit. Therefore, such an agricultural method as pinching should be mandatory. Experienced gardeners experimenting with pepino are advised to leave only two shoots.

Plants must be tied up, as they do with tall tomatoes - pepino in our conditions grows up to two meters and above. You can feed with mineral fertilizers for eggplant, adhering to the same doses and terms.

Supports will have to be placed under the brushes with fruits, because the brushes can break off under the weight of the ripening fruit. The fruits are removed when stripes appear on them, or when the fruits turn lemon yellow. Store in a cool room where the temperature is 10-15°C. The taste of fruits is different, it depends on weather conditions, variety, quality of plant care. From waterlogging, the fruits crack.

What kind of pepino do you prefer?

In our area, only two varieties are popular: "Ramses" and "Consuello".

The variety "Ramses" is resistant to adverse factors, more productive, its fruits ripen early. They have a yellow-orange color, pleasant taste, but with a peppery tinge.

But the taste of "consuello" is melon, the fruit is fragrant, bright yellow with lilac stripes. This variety does not tolerate adverse conditions.

Both varieties are suitable for growing indoors.

If the cuttings are planted at the end of February, then at the end of August you will already receive the first ripe fruits.

A fertile pepino needs rest

When the plants have fruited, they need rest. Pepino is cut into three quarters and placed in a dark, cool and ventilated room. The temperature here should be from 5 to 10 ° C. Do not allow the air to dry out. In this room, the plants are two months. Then they can be transplanted into flowerpots with loose soil.

Pepino (Solanum muricatum), or melon pear, is still a very rare plant in our country. Although, thanks to the efforts of some seed companies and amateur collectors, pepino is gradually spreading among Russian lovers of unusual plants.
The popular name pepino "melon pear" is associated with the shape and taste of the fruit - they are usually pear-shaped, and taste like a melon.

Pepino is a very ancient cultivated plant, it was widely grown by the Indians of South America in the pre-Columbian era. Interestingly, pepino is known only in cultivation and is not found in the wild.
The pepino culture was formed in the cool, humid climate of the tropical highlands. Therefore, the melon pear does not work well at high temperatures, even when providing a high level of humidity.
Optimal conditions for growing pepino: in addition to high soil and air humidity, moderate temperature (within + 20 ... + 25 degrees) with slight fluctuations during the day and seasons.
Varieties of melon pears have been created that are more resistant to high temperatures, but even they bear fruit best in cool weather. In total, about 25 varieties of pepino are known, not counting the local South American variety forms.

In a few years of growing pepino, I have tested 6 varieties, but none of them, unfortunately, showed high yields in our climate. The main obstacle to pepino fruit set is the high summer temperature. In July-August, the plants bloom, but the flowers fall off; rarely only single fruits are formed. And only in September-October, abundant fruit formation of pepino occurs.

Melon pear can be propagated by seeds and cuttings. The second way is preferable:
- firstly, not all varieties of pepino produce full-fledged seeds;
- secondly, plants grown from seeds later bear fruit. In autumn, I take cuttings from well-developed pepino bushes and plant them at home in pots (with a capacity of about 1 liter) in light soil. Pepino roots are very sensitive to the lack of air in the substrate, and therefore the soil for rooting cuttings should be as loose as possible. Cuttings root very quickly (within two weeks) at room temperature, but at first it is advisable to keep them under a film to ensure high humidity.

Pepino overwinter on the windowsill of the south window. In May, I cut cuttings from developed bushes and plant them directly into the ground, under a film - in partial shade, under the protection of trees with a rare crown (for example, under peaches).

An obligatory agricultural method when growing pepino is pinching. Plants bush very strongly and give many stepchildren; if these stepchildren are not removed, then the fruiting of the melon pear is practically absent. By experience, I was convinced that no more than two shoots should be left on a pepino bush. I tie them up in the same way as tall tomatoes, because in our conditions melon pear bushes grow more than two meters.
In autumn, under the brushes with the fruits of the melon pear, it is advisable to bring props or additionally tie them up, since they can break off under the weight of the fruit.

I feed pepino only with mineral fertilizers (at the same time and in the same doses as eggplants).

Of the insect pests on pepino bushes, I only noticed the Colorado potato beetle, which damages these plants in the same way as potatoes. Since there are few Colorado potato beetles in my garden, I limit myself to manual collection of insects and do not use insecticides against them.
Of the diseases on the pepino bush, the leaf bronze virus was once noted: the upper leaves were crushed and acquired a characteristic bronze hue, the plant stopped growing. Affected leaves began to turn black; and I had to destroy this bush.

I shoot pepino fruits when purple streaks begin to appear on them. If the fruits of a melon pear are placed in a cool room (with a temperature of +10 ... +15 degrees), then they are successfully stored for several months.
Pepino fruits are dietary: they are 93% water, they contain 2-5% sugars, and the rest is minerals and vitamins.
Depending on the variety of pepino and weather conditions, the taste of the fruit can be very different. The fruits set in September have the best taste.
I eat a melon pear when the fruit begins to turn yellow, and the stripes on it disappear. And the unripe pepino fruits of some varieties are very tasty in salting - their taste resembles pickles.
The yield of a melon pear is highly dependent on the weather and in our conditions reaches 400-500 g per bush in favorable years (but usually it is less). The fruits of some varieties of pepino are sensitive to waterlogging and crack in wet weather.
Of course, the yield of pepino bushes in our conditions is low, but the excellent keeping quality and gradual ripening of the fruits make it possible to use them in the autumn-winter period.

Pepino is one of the ancient fruit crops cultivated in South America. Images of the plant can be found on the pottery of pre-Columbian Peru. Cieza de Leon, the Spanish chronicler of the Incas, stated that "one has to eat a lot of pepino before they get bored." But, despite the fact that this fruit is very popular among the inhabitants of South America, the plant is little known outside the region.

The homeland of pepino (Solanum muricatum Aiton from the Solanaceae family; other names are Aymara, Quechua, Peruvian cucumber, mango cucumber, pear melon, melon pear, melon bush, melon tree, sweet cucumber) - areas of the high Andes, where plants are now known only in cultivation or in a wild state. There is speculation that the possible wild ancestor of the pepino is Solanum caripense (tzimbalo), which easily crosses with the pepino and whose fruits are also edible.

Pepino was brought to Russia only in the 19th century. For some time it was grown only in greenhouses, however, over time, interest in the plant disappeared, despite the fact that the fruits have a pleasant fresh taste and a variety of uses in cooking. So, the inhabitants of South America, and surprisingly, Japan, use fruits exclusively fresh for dessert. But New Zealanders use pepino in soups, sauces, dishes with seafood, meat, fish, fruit salads and, of course, in a variety of desserts. In addition, the fruits can be stored for future use: frozen, dried, canned.

Before you eat pepino, the skin must be peeled, as in some varieties it has an unpleasant taste. The skin color can be creamy, yellowish or yellow-orange with purple, brown, gray or green streaks, giving the rounded fruit its characteristic appearance. Pulp with a pleasant smell, juicy, because. consists of 92% water, sweet and sour honey yellow, salmon color, and sometimes almost colorless. Fruits owe their sour taste to vitamin C, the content of which in the pulp is no less than in citrus fruits - about 35 mg per 100 g. In addition to vitamin C, the pulp also contains a fairly large amount of vitamin A and only about 7% carbohydrates. In the center of the fruit is a small amount of seeds that can be easily removed, and if desired, the seeds can be eaten.

The perennial pepino bush reaches about 1 m in height. Pepino grows quickly and begins to bloom and set fruits 4-6 months after planting. The stems of the bush are woody. The shoots bear both simple and compound leaves, as well as white or pale purple to bright blue flowers that are arranged in clusters. Pepino is easily propagated by both cuttings and seeds, but usually seedlings have poorer fruit quality compared to parental specimens.